MCGH Opticals flooded with customers as appointments start

A long queue has drawn up outside the Male' City Group of Hospitals (MCGH) Opticals outlet at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) after it was opened for appointments at 1400hrs on Monday.

The government officially launched the optical service on Sunday to facilitate making free prescription glasses under Aasandha. IGMH had earlier said that appointments would be issued at 1400 hrs on Monday.

Some photos obtained by Sun show a long queue in front of the MCGH Opticals Male’ at IGMH on Monday afternoon, within the first hour of opening for consultation.

The MCGH Opticals outlet offers ophthalmology consultations, making prescription glasses and powered-contact lenses as well as testing faculties for early detection of glaucoma and  monitoring eye pressure.

While government hospitals treat various eye diseases, the service of making prescription glasses is new. This service has always been provided by the private sector in Maldives. Glasses are expensive to purchase and repair in the Maldives and Aasandha had been allotting only MVR 1,000 for it.

However, since the general public had to spend thousands out of their own pockets even after deducting the MVR 1,000 Aasandha allotment, complaints began to rise.

The Aasandha amount has since been increased to MVR 2,000 in June 2025 by President Muizzu. He also ordered the Male' City Group of Hospitals to start making prescription glasses under Aasandha as well.

Speaking at the launch ceremony held at IGMH on Sunday, MCGH CEO Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem said the service will be launched at Hulhumale Hospital next month and will be expanded to regional hospitals in the near future.

Therefore, people from all parts of the country will be able to get their prescription glasses done for free, he said.